


halcyon

by mysterionrises



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Epistolary, M/M, Social Media, allusions to kray's canonical human experimentation, and they were ROOMMATES, oh my god they were roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:13:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28677234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysterionrises/pseuds/mysterionrises
Summary: The article is published a week and a half after the end of the world. Within twelve hours, it's been shared over six hundred thousand times across social media.Lio Fotia: The Man Behind the MythApril 23, 2049By Benjamin GiraudWe all know his name by now. Leader of the Mad Burnish, the inferno terrorists. He had been arrested barely a week before, apprehended by Galo Thymos and Burning Rescue 3rd Division; and just hours previous, he had gone on a burning rampage through the city.But when I first encounter him, he is bringing a water bottle to a tired volunteer. In fact, I don't even recognize him at first. Covered in ash and without the patented leather jacket, he looks like any other disaffected citizen. I snap a picture of him as has become habit, but it's only later that I truly learn who my subject is.Lio Fotia is something else. His voice is quiet, but it commands attention when he speaks. He gives orders definitively, and when he does not know the answer he has the grace to direct you to the person who does.Or: the aftermath of saving the world, through social media.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 31
Kudos: 167





	halcyon

**Author's Note:**

> I watched Promare on a whim in August, caught feelings, wrote 90% of this and then dropped it, and then motivated and finished the last bit. So here it is, the social media post-movie response I've been dwelling on for four months!
> 
> Catch my sneaky reference to halo's hunt the truth 👀

**Lio Fotia: The Man Behind the Myth**  
April 23, 2049  
By Benjamin Giraud

I think it's safe to say that the citizens of this city will remember where they were when the _Parnassus_ first lifted off for years to come.

I was sitting in a cramped back office with my editor across town, working on a story that would be ultimately scrapped in the wake of what was to come. My first thought was that it was an earthquake, but Promepolis doesn't lay on a fault line. It was only after we ran outside that we saw the reality of the situation, the _Parnassus_ a behemoth in the sky. My fiancée called me as I stared, dumbstruck, into the sky, telling me that people were boarding this new bizarre ship and government watchdogs were holding back the masses, some sort of horrible reverse _Titanic_. She witnessed the unmarked soldiers (affiliation still unknown as of printing) firing into the crowds to force them to scatter, and she ended up trapped in the rubble when the ship first hit the ground forty-five minutes later. Simultaneously, I suddenly began to get alerts of massive volcanic activity erupting across the globe. For a good few minutes, I really, truly, thought it was the end of the world.

We all have stories like this, and I think Promepolis - and the world - will be feeling this for days and months to come. There's a level of raw vulnerability that I've never before witnessed between virtual strangers, and it has been truly inspiring. I had the privilege of witnessing thousands of volunteers come to ground zero in order to help those trapped in the rubble or aboard the ship, and the privilege of driving past lines of volunteers waiting to give blood or prepare food for the soup kitchens that were about to become overrun.

That was how I first encountered Lio Fotia.

We all know his name by now. Leader of the Mad Burnish, the inferno terrorists. He had been arrested barely a week before, apprehended by Galo Thymos and Burning Rescue 3rd Division; and just hours previous, he had gone on a burning rampage through the city.

But when I first encounter him, he is bringing a water bottle to a tired volunteer. In fact, I don't even recognize him at first. Covered in ash and without the patented leather jacket, he looks like any other disaffected citizen. I snap a picture of him as has become habit, but it's only later that I truly learn who my subject is.

Lio Fotia is something else. His voice is quiet, but it commands attention when he speaks. He gives orders definitively, and when he does not know the answer he has the grace to direct you to the person who does.

I returned to ground zero every day for a week to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts, and every day, without fail, I could spot Lio Fotia working alongside the other volunteers. He would not let the Burnish be forgotten, but neither did he ever ignore a cry for help from the rest of the population, either. On one particularly memorable occasion, my fourth day on the ground, I arrived in the morning to overhear one of the fire captains asking if he had been out there for the past forty-eight hours. When Fotia confirmed, he was all but forced to leave and rest; but as I left that day eight hours later, I spotted him digging through the rubble of an old apartment complex for the missing toy of a young displaced boy standing off to the side.

He certainly doesn't look like the leader of an extremist terror cell. He looks like a polite, thoughtful young man.

I ask him for an interview on the sixth day, hunting him down early in the morning as the sun is rising. He looks me over wordlessly, and I can't help feeling like I'm being assessed. Before I can back down, though, he nods and motions for me to follow him. He tells me we can talk while we work, which turns out to be helping make lunch for the eight thousand displaced civilians.

I start simple, asking how long he's been leading the Mad Burnish; after all, though they've been operating for the last thirty years, since the Burnish first appeared, he barely looks old enough to have been alive before the first Great World Blaze. I say as much, and he gives a quiet laugh before he confirms that he joined Mad Burnish six years ago.

I have a pre-written list of questions I want to ask him: _how did you end up here? What are your thoughts on human/Burnish relations going forward? Did Kray Foresight truly do all those things you accused him of?_ But faced with his quiet toil and severe brow, I find all my questions leave me.

Instead, I ask him if his people will be alright.

It makes him stop what he’s doing. He turns to look at me again, with those piercing, assessing eyes. And then he gives a curt nod and says, “They will be.”

We speak for another two hours as we work, and he gives me his opinions on politics, on motorcycles, on his favorite food. He asks me questions in return, and several times I joke that he’s really the one interviewing me.

Serving lunch is humbling with Lio Fotia. The Burnish are effusive in their gratitude when he hands them water bottles and bags of chips. He smiles for them, but I watch the way the expression falls and his eyebrows furrow as they move on. When I ask him about it later, he tells me, “I don’t feel like I deserve their gratitude. I wish I could have done more. I just did what anyone would have done in my situation.”

I want to press the topic, but before I can, I hear several voices shout his name. I see Fotia smile, but unlike before, this one spreads across the rest of his face. His eyes crinkle, and I realize only then how restrained his past expressions have been.

He introduces me to three newcomers: Gueira and Meis (no last names given), former Mad Burnish freedom fighters; and Galo Thymos, Promepolis’s very own hero from Burning Rescue. Coincidentally, Thymos was the one who made the initial arrest of the three of them.

There seems to be none of that tension when they interact though. Thymos cheerfully asks Fotia about his day before he launches into a story of his own. The other two look more like silent watchdogs, but even they crack a smile when Thymos admits to being shoed away from the lunch preparations the day before when he’d accidentally sunk his entire hand into a new jar of peanut butter.

I know these three were some of the highest ranking members of Mad Burnish: the last three to be arrested just the week before. But when I see them together, I see more than their pasts. Fotia is the youngest, but even Gueira, who confesses to being the eldest, is only twenty-nine. The three of them together remind me how young they really are. How _human_ they really are.

At one point, I catch sight of bruises around Meis’s wrists. When he catches my gaze, he holds them up for a better view. “From the pods Foresight put us in,” he tells me. “We all have them.”

Gueira nods, though he doesn’t offer his own wrists. I don’t blame him, watching the far-off expression that appears on his face.

“Do you mind if I ask you some questions about that?” I ask. The two share a look, seeming to communicate in a way I’m not privy to, before they agree.

They begin to describe to me the claustrophobia and overwhelming pain they’d experienced in the pods. When I ask about Fotia, they begin to explain the way he was able to unify the Burnish like no one else. The pride in their voices is evident, but the whole conversation leaves me with a bad aftertaste in my mouth.

It gives rise, then, to the question that I think all of us must now confront: just what was Kray Foresight doing with his Burnish prisoners? What depravity did we citizens turn a blind eye to, in the name of peace and safety? Perhaps you were unable to join the rescue efforts, but I was not: the Burnish people freed from their pods were not criminals. They were people just like you and I, small children and elderly grandparents, your mailman and the pizza guy down the road. Fotia was unable to free every Burnish personally, but always when there was a child he would arrive, listening attentively and nodding as he helped them find their parents.

We don't yet know what Foresight's lawyers will claim in his defense. At best, his incompetency allowed the torture and exploitation of the most vulnerable right under his nose; at worst, he was the willing ringleader of a would-be genocide. And no matter which side of the coin he falls, as governor it was his duty to be better - to be the best of us all. And he failed.

In circumstances such as these, I no longer think it is so easy to think of Lio Fotia in such black and white terms. Is he a terrorist? Or was he simply a renegade fighter, trying his best to bring traumatized children home to their parents? Could you blame him, for being unwilling to sit back as his people were rounded up and used as fodder?

I've seen him on the front lines now, helping Burnish and non-Burnish alike. I no longer think I could.

Forgive me if you find this article to be more scattered than our standard fare. I hope you may recognize the humanity of our staff here at the papers and the toll this has taken not just on us but on our entire city. I hope what you take from this is not my unprofessionalism but my humanity. And I hope, too, that it is not just my humanity that shines through but that of the Burnish, as well. In the end, we are all only human.

_Comments_

Malia  
Thank you for sharing this perspective with us Ben. Your vulnerability is truly admirable.

Taizen  
Should have just killed them all  
| View 37 replies

Hama  
Doesn’t excuse terrorism  
| View 6 replies

Adi  
What was done to these people was horrific!! Thank you for continuing to be a voice of integrity Ben and making sure we don’t lose sight of this atrocity. Foresight should be locked up!  
| View 13 replies

See More Comments

* * *

**itskellum** asked:  
Darcy are you ok!! you haven’t been active recently and I know you live in promepolis I’m worried about you please be safe!!

 **gaymergirldarcy** answered:  
Yes, thank you to everyone that’s been messaging me but I promise I’m completely fine. My older brother was near the crash site and ended up with a broken leg and I know a few people with other minor injuries, but it’s nothing life-threatening at all. This past week has been so fucking surreal that I honestly just like, don’t even know what to really do? The whole city is coming together for rescue and clean-up efforts and shit so I’ve actually been out there helping volunteer where I can. I’ve been getting home late and pretty much just showering off all the grime before passing out lol but at least it’s finally starting to look like our city again.

On that note, if any of you are sending me anti-Burnish jokes or messages then kindly fuck right out of my inbox. I’ve literally seen hysterical parents in the street after finding out their kids didn’t survive Foresight’s imprisonment. I’m not playing this game with you (and yes, that goes for Lio Fotia, too).

125 notes

—

 **anonymous** asked:  
Didn’t Fotia literally threaten to kill everyone in Promepolis and set Promepolis on fire?? How are you seriously defending him when he’s done things that are just as bad as what Foresight’s been accused of?

 **gaymergirldarcy** answered:  
lol Cute how you’re going to come in here on anon because you’re too much of a coward to say it with your whole damn chest. Forgive me if I don’t think property damage is anywhere _near_ on par with literal human experimentation. For anyone who may be genuinely asking yourself this question (not you, anon, I know a shit-stirrer when I see one): please consider for a moment that when Fotia entered Promepolis Foresight had not yet revealed _anything_ about the Parnassus. So Fotia was, for all intents and purposes, the singular person who knew what Foresight was about to do and to whom. Think about that for five seconds - if every one of your friends and family were imprisoned and there was NO ONE who could help you because the police were involved in their imprisonment, do you think you’d nice and calmly approach their warden and say “hey, can I have my friends and family back maybe please?”

NO. You would most likely be doing anything and everything you could in your power to get them back. It just so happened that Fotia had more power than most to do something about it. And this isn’t even getting into the fact that this wasn’t just one family unit but thousands of people. They’re _still_ trying to figure out exactly how many were kidnapped and what the death toll looks like of that number.

Besides, unless you’ve been living under a rock you know that the guy LITERALLY saved the world and I would bet money scientists are going to discover that earth’s CO2 levels have gone down exponentially or some shit. He saved _everyone_ , not just the Burnish.

So yeah, if you’re going to show me a guy who literally saved every human being in the world and also caused some property damage in the mean time, I’m going to fucking go to bat for him.

Fuck right off, anon.

1,788 notes

—

 **anonymous** asked:  
as a former Burnish, I just wanted to say thank you for your last ask. It meant a lot to read and know that we’re not alone. <3

 **gaymergirldarcy** answered:  
omg ofc nonny!! I know you’re probably dealing with a lot right now so if I can help in any way please let me know.

38 notes

* * *

**BREAKING: Mad Burnish Leader Arrested on Charges of Terrorism Against the Independent Republic of Promepolis**

Lio Fotia, former-Burnish and leader of the inferno terrorist cell Mad Burnish has been charged with terrorism, civil unrest, and destruction of property. Story will be updated as details are announced.

* * *

WORLD'S #1 FIREFIGHTER @galothymos ☑  
Lio is a victim of Kray Foresight just like all the other Burnish and they ALL deserve a fair chance!! I, Galo Thymos, stand 100% with Lio and the Burnish!!  
72 comments · 3,266 retweets · 14.2k likes

#FreeFotia #SavedTheWorld @amaloo  
Lio Fotia is a freedom fighter who #SavedTheWorld even after he found out his people were being experimented on and illegally detained?? Why do we care more about property damage than actual human lives? #FreeFotia  
20 comments · 78 retweets · 256 likes

Miss Amia @missamia_  
please tell me I wasnt the only person who saw the sexual tension between galo thymos and lio fotia when he arrested him. And then they #SavedTheWorld together? I am looking respectfully!!!  
1 comment · 1 retweet · 8 likes

jadon @jayd  
Why are we even having a debate over this? The guy set all of promepolis on fire. He and all the other terrorists should rot in prison  
2 comments · 1 retweet · 8 likes

> jadon @jayd  
> Replying to @jayd  
> tbh we should bring back the death penalty just for them  
> 1 comment · 0 retweets · 0 likes
> 
> mad scientist @fixfex  
> Replying to @jayd  
> LOOOOL SUCK MY FAT DICK and be grateful im not allowed to dox people asshole  
> 1 comment · 0 retweets · 12 likes

Darcy #FreeFotia @dear_darcy  
Uhhh did anyone else see the email leaks from the city council? Talk about a bad look 😬  
6 comments · 2 retweets · 34 likes

galo thymos fancam @itskellum  
Wow the promepolis govt is really out here outting themselves for systemic disenfranchisement huh  
15 comment · 6 retweets · 48 likes

Lorna Vices @thelornavices ☑  
I want to talk for a minute about what exactly it means that the Promepolis City Council was so okay with stripping citizenship from thousands of Burnish and how our government is structured in such a way that this act is not just tolerated but even celebrated (1/12)  
321 comment · 889 retweets · 7.2k likes

* * *

From: Varian Pheresen <varian.pheresen@promepolis.gov>  
To: Esther Wilcox <esther.wilcox@promepolis.gov>; Maeve Sorai <maeve.sorai@promepolis.gov>; Jed Morrow <jed.morrow@promepolis.gov>; Dagny Hartford <dagny.hartford@promepolis.gov>  
Subject: Burnish Crisis

What are we going to do about Fotia?

-

**Varian Pheresen**   
**Director | Office of the Promepolis City Council**

—————————————

From: Dagny Hartford <dagny.hartford@promepolis.gov>  
To: Esther Wilcox <esther.wilcox@promepolis.gov>; Maeve Sorai <maeve.sorai@promepolis.gov>; Jed Morrow <jed.morrow@promepolis.gov>; Varian Pheresen <varian.pheresen@promepolis.gov>  
Subject: RE: Burnish Crisis

What do you mean?

**Dagny Hartford**   
**Office of the Promepolis City Council**

—————————————

From: Varian Pheresen <varian.pheresen@promepolis.gov>  
To: Esther Wilcox <esther.wilcox@promepolis.gov>; Maeve Sorai <maeve.sorai@promepolis.gov>; Jed Morrow <jed.morrow@promepolis.gov>; Dagny Hartford <dagny.hartford@promepolis.gov>  
Subject: RE: RE: Burnish Crisis

We all know elections are coming up next year; after this fiasco with Kray (and I pray to God none of you knew the extent of it) we are sitting in a tough fucking position, and Fotia is going to be pushing for reinstated citizenship for every ex-burnish and maybe even reparations. Even if we optimistically assumed 1/3 left because they had homes elsewhere (which sounds _very_ optimistic to me) that leaves us with almost 10,000 burnish. That could make or break our next elections - if we get Fotia out of the picture, they have no other leader with as much visibility advocating for them

V

-

**Varian Pheresen**   
**Director | Office of the Promepolis City Council**

—————————————

From: Jed Morrow <jed.morrow@promepolis.gov>  
To: Dagny Hartford <dagny.hartford@promepolis.gov>; Esther Wilcox <esther.wilcox@promepolis.gov>; Maeve Sorai <maeve.sorai@promepolis.gov>; Varian Pheresen <varian.pheresen@promepolis.gov>  
Subject: RE: RE: RE: Burnish Crisis

What are you suggesting then because I know you know how this sounds...

Jed

—————————————

From: Varian Pheresen <varian.pheresen@promepolis.gov>  
To: Esther Wilcox <esther.wilcox@promepolis.gov>; Maeve Sorai <maeve.sorai@promepolis.gov>; Jed Morrow <jed.morrow@promepolis.gov>; Dagny Hartford <dagny.hartford@promepolis.gov>  
Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: Burnish Crisis

Look, I'm as horrified as everyone else by the extent of Kray's work; I'm certainly not advocating we _don't help them_ and I'm grateful to Fotia, but let's be honest with ourselves: we could nail him to the wall if we wanted to with the amount of property damage, fear mongering, and civil unrest he generated. Now I'm not _advocating_ for putting him away for life, but if we arrest him on terrorism charges it takes him out of the picture for the foreseeable future and we let bureaucracy do the rest of the work - this is 10,000 people we're talking about. Without Fotia setting a fire under our asses, it will take a while to get everyone's citizenship finalized and it gives us another election cycle to make sure everything's taken care of by then everyone will have cooled off

V

-

**Varian Pheresen**   
**Director | Office of the Promepolis City Council**

* * *

**From the desk of acting Governor Ignatia Wells**

PROMEPOLIS — It is with a heavy heart that I must address the concerning emails that were shared this past Thursday. We take these allegations very seriously and are currently working to assess the veracity of these claims. Rest assured, we stand with the Burnish and do not condone any malicious persecution of their community and are actively and aggressively pursuing the best course of action.

With care,

Ignatia Wells  
Acting Governor of the Independent Republic of Promepolis

* * *

Soraya Ken @sorayaken  
Hey everyone, join us at Promepolis City Hall this Saturday at 2 if you want to make sure your voice is HEARD. We unequivocally support our Burnish brothers and sisters and DEMAND that Governor Wells pardon Lio Fotia IMMEDIATELY. #FreeFotia  
62 comments · 996 retweets · 5.6 likes

> Soraya Ken @sorayaken  
> Replying to @sorayaken  
> Also if you haven’t yet seen it, you can contribute to Fotia’s bail fund here (bit.ly/988da8), legal expenses for the Burnish (bit.ly/756df4), or medical expenses for victims (bit.ly/658dj26)  
> 61 comments · 168 retweets · 3.5k likes
> 
> Darcy #FreeFotia @dear_darcy  
> Replying to @sorayaken  
> Thank you for organizing this, I will absolutely be there. We’ve already failed the Burnish horribly, and enough is enough.  
> 0 comments · 1 retweet · 8 likes

Lorna Vices @thelornavices ☑  
Make sure to keep tagging your tweets with #FreeFotia #PromepolisEmails and #SavedTheWorld to make sure this story doesn’t get buried. Many Burnish are still unable to access the Internet in any capacity right now, so now is the time for us to step up and make sure they’re given a fighting chance.  
0 comments · 681 retweets · 7.2k likes

* * *

**BREAKING: Mad Burnish Leader Pardoned by Acting Governor of Promepolis**

Lio Fotia, former-Burnish and leader of the inferno terrorist cell Mad Burnish, was charged last Monday with terrorism, civil unrest, and destruction of property. He was arrested the same day, with bail being posted within hours from a crowdfunded campaign. Acting Governor Ignatia Wells has announced an official pardon for Fotia, coming on the heels of the email leak that came early Thursday morning from the city council, in which they discussed the arrest of Fotia as a means of withholding citizenship from the the Burnish refugees rescued from the _Parnassus_. Following this leak, Governor Wells was hard-pressed to grant clemency to Fotia, who has recently been the subject of much debate, though the court of public opinion appears to have fallen largely on his side, driving #FreeFotia campaigns online and galvanizing a week’s worth of protests outside city hall.

Acting Governor Wells’ seat will be up for election this coming cycle, given she only recently took office in light of the arrest of former Governor Kray Foresight. Three of the five city council members, Varian Pheresen, Maeve Sorai, and Jed Morrow, are also up for election.

* * *

**[TRANSCRIPT OF PROTV NEWS - PROMEPOLIS UNFILTERED, 07/08/49]**

**SURANA MAHSA:** Good afternoon, and welcome back to today’s segment of Promepolis Unfiltered! I’m your host Surana Mahsa and today I have a unique guest, even by our standards. _(Laughs)_ Please help me in welcoming Lio Fotia, the former leader of the flame terrorist group, Mad Burnish.

 **LIO FOTIA:** Thank you for having me, Surana.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** So Lio, I guess let’s start by getting this out of the way: you’ve just recently been officially pardoned by Governor Ignatia Wells. Now if I heard correctly, you had been arrested and subsequently had bail posted within six hours thanks to a crowdfunding campaign. What was that experience like?

 **LIO FOTIA:** Honestly? I never expected it in a million years. The crowdfunding, I mean. I suppose I always expected to be arrested at the end of everything. I never really had time to imagine what my life would like like after that.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** And now, with Governor Wells’ pardon, you’re suddenly looking at a lot of free time on your hands. So how have you been, with the Second World Blaze now nearly three months behind us?

 **LIO FOTIA:** _(Laughs)_ Busy.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** I bet! I read that piece by Ben Giraud in the week after everything happened, and it sounds like you didn’t stop at all!

 **LIO FOTIA:** I don’t know about that, but there was definitely a lot of work to get done that wouldn’t have happened without all the volunteers who came out to help, especially the Burning Rescue members who deployed their suits in order to assist us in the digging and rescue efforts.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** Was that strange? Working with the people who were formerly trying to arrest you?

 **LIO FOTIA:** A bit. But maybe not as much as I might have expected. They’ve been…very understanding. I spent a few weeks waiting for the other shoe to drop, but they’ve been nothing but helpful. I’m not surprised, really. Burning Rescue’s goal has always been first and foremost rescue, unlike organizations like Freeze Force which focused more on the apprehension of the Burnish. Burning Rescue certainly has a softer touch.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** I bet. Now clearly, the extent of your involvement in Mad Burnish has been greatly exaggerated. Forgive me, but you hardly look a day over eighteen, much less like you were leading the Mad Burnish for thirty years.

 **LIO FOTIA:** That’s correct. I was never officially made any sort of leader, but I suppose it began around one to two years before the Second World Blaze?

 **SURANA MAHSA:** That recently? And how long were you with Mad Burnish before that?

 **LIO FOTIA:** Well, that’s a complicated answer. I think there’s a common misconception among non-Burnish that Mad Burnish was some… elite group that Burnish could be enlisted by or recruited for.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** And you’re saying that’s not the case?

 **LIO FOTIA:** Not at all. The truth is, Mad Burnish was more of a…loose collection of disenfranchised Burnish. They didn’t really have any common goals across the globe, unless you count the basic drive to protect the most vulnerable Burnish in our community. All Burnish look out for one another. We had to, to survive.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** And what would you say about the destruction and let’s just say, “disturbing the peace” that often occurred in the wake of Mad Burnish?

 **LIO FOTIA:** I’d say that for many Burnish pushed to the fringes of society, that was often their only way of reminding the world that they still existed, that they mattered and still deserved to be acknowledged. Imagine for a minute the devastation that comes with family and friends you’ve known for years suddenly acting like you don’t exist. Furthermore, for the Burnish, to burn is - was - to live. Most fires we kept to the deserts and uninhabited zones between states, but yes, sometimes Burnish would take their frustrations to the cities and unleash there.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** What of the civilian causalities as a result of Burnish flame?

 **LIO FOTIA:** Any innocent life lost is a tragedy, Burnish or not. It was certainly part of my motivation in taking leadership.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** Part?

 **LIO FOTIA:** Yes. Well, to answer your earlier question, I was taken under the care of a group of Mad Burnish when I was around fourteen. I spent about five years with them before I realized how disconnected we all were. Nothing was going to change if we continued as we were. We had our group of around thirty people, and certainly people would come and go, but we were largely independent from anyone else. That’s how all the groups were. I left at nineteen to begin to rally the other Burnish to a unified cause.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** And what was that?

 **LIO FOTIA:** Separation. You have to understand, we were living on the road, often in old abandoned gas stations or cave systems. We rarely had luxuries like running water or electricity. My goal was to unite the Burnish. We should be proud of our differences, and we were, but that energy wasn’t being channeled correctly. In uniting the Burnish, I was hoping we could set up our own independent city-state: by Burnish, for Burnish, where we would no longer face oppression. Of course, as I began to travel North America that goal grew in scope. As I joined new groups I encouraged them to change the way they struck cities, encouraging them to begin leaving escape routes for citizens, to strike in less populated areas, and to watch for new awakenings. In the past five years or so, if your latent Burnish abilities awoke in public, you could be guaranteed to be kidnapped and never heard from again. We started watching for Burnish awakenings, and would strike where they occurred, providing cover for the new Burnish so we could help them escape. And as I traveled I told everyone of my broader goal of creating our own home. I suppose, over time, that began to develop into something like leadership as the other Mad Burnish began to look to me. But it wasn’t - we had all felt the same burning, for so long. I suppose I was just the first person in a few years to remind them that it was possible. And I was - lucky. My abilities were stronger than most, and it meant people were more willing to listen to me.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** I’d love to touch on a point that you mentioned there, that newly awakened Burnish were kidnapped and never heard from again. Would you mind going into a bit more detail there?

 **LIO FOTIA:** Sure. When the Burnish first awoke thirty years ago, we often faced prejudice and could be run out of town. Following the Great World Blaze, this was codified into law in many places, though of course not everywhere. Burnish have never been allowed to exist within society unless they were - well, perhaps closeted is the best term to use here. You were chased out of town at best, or killed at worst. Several cases cropped up of Burnish being tried for property damage and manslaughter, which often resulted in disproportionately longer sentences, and often anyone who did finish their sentence were then unable to find work or return to their former lives. But in the year when I started working to bring the Burnish together, I started to pick up an even more disturbing pattern. Rumors started spreading of a singular anti-Burnish holding facility out here near Promepolis that all other city-states were sending their prisoners to. In many cities, new laws were written making the existence of a Burnish illegal in and of itself, for no reason other than existing. That’s often how they were able to justify the arrest of young children. In other cities, people would just disappear, with no due process at all.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** I presume this has to do with Kray Foresight’s project, correct?

 **LIO FOTIA:** Yes. Did you know that the facility Burnish were housed in was actually a private prison owned by Kray Foresight? Each prisoner cost nearly seven hundred dollars per day to house. That was, of course, billed to the Burnish’s city of residence, which can also be directly connected to the most recent push to strip Burnish criminals of citizenship. And Kray Foresight was pocketing money on each Burnish body that _he_ was then using to experiment on for his sick work. _(Muffled)_ I’m sorry, can we—

 **SURANA MAHSA:** Folks, we’re going to take a quick break here and then we’ll be back. Make sure to tune back in because we still have the annual city-wide pizza cook-off finalists to be announced!

—

 **SURANA MAHSA:** Welcome back folks! If you’re just now tuning into today’s segment of Promepolis Unfiltered, I’m here with Lio Fotia, the former leader of Mad Burnish and more recently recognized for his part in saving the world in the wake of former-governor Foresight’s disastrous Parnassus project. Lio, I’m sure you’ve seen the social media campaign surrounding you in recent weeks. What’s that been like?

 **LIO FOTIA:** Uh. Overwhelming, honestly.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** How so?

 **LIO FOTIA:** I never really grew up on or around social media, as I had my Burnish awakening around six years old. The…deluge of voices on social media has been overwhelming but…affirming. The day I was told I needed to create an official Twitter page was a hard pill to swallow.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** How do you handle the detractors?

 **LIO FOTIA:** I used to argue with them. But my roommate told me that probably wasn’t the best for my mental health, or my blood pressure, and he’s probably right. So I mostly try to ignore them now.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** Now, you were telling me a bit this morning about your upcoming goals, why don’t you touch on that for our audience?

 **LIO FOTIA:** Yeah, um - the first step which we’ve already begun seeing is reinstatement of citizenship for the Burnish who had this stripped from them.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** Right, I think we all saw those email leaks from the city council the other week. _(Laughs)_

 **LIO FOTIA:** Right, which is a great example of the uphill battle the Burnish are facing. I will say, with the revelation of every city’s involvement in the housing of Burnish prisoners and paying off Kray Foresight, we’ve been lucky in ensuring citizenship for anyone who wants to return to their old homes. Unfortunately, what we’re finding is that, one, many Burnish were complete rejected by their friends and family and have no desire to return, hence the increased bid for citizenship here in Promepolis. Two, many former-Burnish have been living lives outside of society for so long that’s it’s been difficult for them to make the adjustment.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** Does that include you?

 **LIO FOTIA:** _(Laughs)_ Yes. I would sleep in all my clothes, including my shoes, for weeks after the Second World Blaze. Ah, and just last week my roommate had to stop me from taking a dish out of the oven bare-handed.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** Thank goodness for this roommate of yours!

 **LIO FOTIA:** I agree. But we’re finding many Burnish are facing similar issues, in addition to the trauma of being used to power the Parnassus. I’m currently in the process of setting up a new social welfare program for former-Burnish, and we’re in talks with the Promepolis government for grants to support the program.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** What will this program entail?

 **LIO FOTIA:** First and foremost, helping Burnish reinstate their citizenship. Especially for those who awakened under eighteen, there’s a real problem where many Burnish simply don’t know how to apply for these things. And of course, housing and employment are both great concerns, as well, so we can help connect the Burnish with the right people to speak to, get them the right paperwork to file, et cetera. And that says nothing of the mental and emotional work that will have to be done, as well. We’ll be offering grief counseling as well as continuing to work to reunite families that were separated. For any Burnish who may be watching, you can find more information about the Burnish Welfare Program on the Promepolis city website. Even if you’re not from Promepolis, we can work to connect you with the right resources in your area.

 **SURANA MAHSA:** Thanks so much for your time today, Lio. We’re out of time but it’s been a pleasure speaking, and I hope you’ll join me again in the future.

 **LIO FOTIA:** Thank you again for having me, Surana.

* * *

Lio Fotia @liofotia ☑  
Thank you everyone for your support. It means more than words can express, and I can only ask that you continue to channel this energy into support for Burnish movements going forward. Find out more about our new welfare program here: bit.ly/478da6  
112 comments · 6,548 retweets · 28.7k likes

WORLD'S #1 FIREFIGHTER @galothymos ☑  
So proud of @liofotia’s interview and how far he’s come!!  
108 comments · 654 retweets · 13.8k likes

galo thymos fancam @itskellum  
god did anyone else hear the way his voice broke when he asked to go to break?? hes so poised that sometimes I forget all the shit he went through  
17 comment · 5 retweets · 42 likes

> Darcy #FreeFotia @dear_darcy  
> Replying to @itskellum  
> I saw that too. I hope someone is making sure he takes care of himself, too. That roommate of his??  
> 1 comment · 0 retweets · 4 likes

Miss Amia @missamia_  
uhhhh not to tin hat on main but what if galo is lio’s roommate!!  
10 comments · 29 retweets · 101 likes

* * *

Burnish Support  
 **r/Burnish**  
A safe space for Burnish to discuss their lives, issues, interests, and passions. Allies are welcome but debate surrounding our human rights will be deleted.  
64k members ● 108 online

u/BurnishMod ● 6hr  
Welcome new members! Please make sure to read the About, which now includes links to the recent social welfare programs

u/FlameoSir ● 6hr  
[LINK] Lio Fotia’s interview on Promepolis Unfiltered

u/pizza_pride ● 7hr  
I was arrested at work. 3 months later and I’m still terrified to step foot back inside. Advice?

u/throwaway_burn123 ● 1d  
No one in my [28F] life knows I’m Burnish…don’t know who to talk to now that it’s gone

* * *

 **Galo Thymos, Lio Fotia Called to Testify Against Former Governor of Promepolis  
** July 13, 2049  
By Eren Misar

PROMEPOLIS — Newly filed court documents in the case against Kray Foresight, the disgraced governor of Promepolis, have named Galo Thymos and Lio Fotia to take the stand along with 37 other witnesses, including several former scientists under Foresight’s employ at Foresight Labs.

Foresight is charged with crimes against humanity, including counts of genocide and improper treatment of civilians, after the extent of his involvement in the _Parnassus_ project was revealed. If found guilty he faces 10 years to life behind bars.

The _Parnassus_ Project brought together 198 scientists employed or contracted by Foresight Labs to build a landmark ship capable of space travel via warp engine. This ship was meant to carry 10,000 people off of Earth after Foresight learned of increased magma activity at the Earth’s core. The _Parnassus_ was constructed and to be powered through the use of Burnish flames, before Galo Thymos and Lio Fotia destroyed the ship and rescued the Burnish prisoners as well as cooled the Earth’s temperature by nearly 4°F globally.

**Rise to Power**

Before Kray Foresight’s appointment as governor of Promepolis, he was the founder and CEO of Foresight Enterprises and its subsidiaries, Foresight Pharmeceuticals, Foresight Technologies, and Foresight Labs, as well as chairman of the Foresight Foundation, after gaining recognition for his fireproof research following his rescue of Galo Thymos from a deadly house fire thirteen years ago.

There is additional speculation in Foresight’s involvement in the death of Professor Deus Prometh, the UN-appointed Burnish specialist for whom Foresight served as a research assistant prior to his death. Some have speculated that the anti-Burnish materials Foresight trademarked were in fact Professor Prometh’s intellectual property, which Foresight stole upon Prometh’s death.

Prior to the reveal of the _Parnassus_ Project, Foresight enjoyed high approval ratings as governor of Promepolis, particularly for his crackdown on Burnish crime and welfare programs for the victims of Burnish violence.

Foresight is to be held without bail until his trial on August 3.

* * *

Chag Sameach ✡ @dear_darcy  
Yikes. I just saw the pictures of Fotia and Thymos at the courthouse. They look wrecked.  
15 comment · 17 retweets · 68 likes

> galo thymos fancam @itskellum  
> Replying to @dear_darcy  
> I’m not surprised, this trial has been going for five months and the media never lets up. They’ve probably been doing everything they can just to sneak in and out every day without being seen.  
> 1 comment · 0 retweets · 6 likes

Miss Amia @missamia_  
The bags under lio’s eyes were so bad :/  
1 comment · 1 retweet · 8 likes

Ama Loo Who @amaloo  
Seeing the Parnassus at night with thousands of Christmas lights lit up around it is fucking surreal and almost post-apocalyptic?? Wtf is this shit lmfao  
1 commens · 0 retweets · 5 likes

HAPPY HOHOHOLIDAYS @galothymos ☑  
@liofotia taught me how to make sufganiyot!! how have I lived without these in my life until now?? :0 but maybe next time don’t try and stick ur hand in the oil XD  
62 comments · 3,257 retweets · 15.1k likes

* * *

 **anonymous** asked:  
How do you think Lio is holding up with the trial? Should we be worried that he hasn’t said anything publicly recently?

 **gaymergirldarcy** answered:  
No, I don’t think you should be worried. I mean, just look at Galo’s latest tweet. Keep in mind that this time last year Lio didn’t even have a Twitter account and was actively on the run, and now just a year later he’s a verified, public figure. My guess is that twitter is just soooo low down on his list of priorities (understandably). I know they called a lot of Foresight scientists to the stand, so it’s probably really emotionally taxing to sit there every day listening to them speak so scientifically about human experimentation of your people, not to mention having to see Foresight the entire time. But on the plus side it looks like Galo Thymos is with him and they seem like they’re really supporting each other through all this shit considering the fact that they follow each other on Twitter, Galo’s tweeted in support of Lio before, and they’re often seen entering and leaving the courthouse together. I know some people have theorized they’re living together and Galo is the now-infamous roommate? Which makes sense, considering his latest tweet (it sounds like Burnish!Lio strikes again trying to shove his hand into hot oil lol) but until they choose to say something, we’re never going to know (on that note, thank you for thinking of me but please stop sending me galolio RPF. If you want to read/write it that’s totally your choice, it’s just not my cup of tea).

Regardless, I think the trial is likely going to be wrapping up here semi-shortly (in the next month or so?) I don’t really have a reason for feeling like that lol Just intuition.

78 notes

> They’re totally boning but that’s none of my business ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
>  **itskellum**
> 
> OKAY BUT POOR GALO??? YALL KNOW THE GOVERNOR SAVED HIS LIFE AND THEN HE DID THIS SHIT TO HIM??? JFC  
>  **s0ppywaffles**
> 
> and they were roommates OH MY GOD THEY WERE ROOMMATES  
>  **readingfanficatmidnight**

* * *

**BREAKING: Kray Foresight Sentenced to Life In Prison**

Kray Foresight has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole following a nearly five-month trial which saw 34 witnesses take the stand.

* * *

Lio Fotia @liofotia ☑  
It’s a Christmas miracle. >:)  
301 comments · 1,245 retweets · 78.2k likes

galo thymos fancam @itskellum  
did...did lio fotia just subtweet kray foresight??? 🤣🤣🤣  
46 comments · 2 retweets · 103 likes

HAPPY HOHOHOLIDAYS @galothymos ☑  
Happy Holidays to everyone who celebrates and all your loved ones! This year I’m so grateful to the friends and family I’ve found in the past year (give or take a few months) and I can’t imagine my life without you in it! You’ve truly shown me what it is to be loved and cared for  
36 comments · 1,546 retweets · 14.5k likes

Lio Fotia @liofotia ☑  
Happy New Year, may we all continue to find peace. Thank you to my loved ones for all you have done and continue to do. All I can do is aim to repay you tenfold. Please consider donating to the Burnish Rehabilitation Foundation (pinned) to help those in need this holiday season.  
68 comments · 6,764 retweets · 18.6k likes

* * *

 **Co-Founder and Director of Burnish Rehabilitation Foundation Steps Down**  
2/8/2050

Following the landmark founding of the Burnish Rehabilitation Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to the social betterment of former-Burnish, co-founder Lio Fotia has stepped down from his role as Director, saying “I’ve been so grateful for the opportunity to work with the Foundation and you’ll certainly be seeing more of me, but for now it’s best to let someone else take my place with the expertise needed to help them flourish. I aspire to be a good leader, and sometimes that means recognizing when your skill-set is simply better used elsewhere.”

When asked what he expects to do next, Fotia indicated that he is currently evaluating his options, but that “I’ve been told more than once to take some time for myself. So, maybe I’ll do that.”

Fotia first gained infamy three years ago when he took over the now defunct inferno-terrorist group Mad Burnish. After stopping the former governor Kray Foresight from using Burnish prisoners to power a warp drive designed to travel into space, he was granted a pardon by acting governor Ignatia Wells and used the opportunity to found the Burnish Rehabilitation Foundation. The Foundation has been instrumental in reintegrating former Burnish into society and have provided financial, medical, and social support to those in need.

If you are interested in making a donation to the Burnish Rehabilitation Foundation, visit their website here.

* * *

Burnish Support  
 **r/Burnish**  
A safe space for Burnish to discuss their lives, issues, interests, and passions. Allies are welcome but debate surrounding our human rights will be deleted. For Burnish looking for assistance, please check the links in the About.  
117k members ● 3,303 online

u/BurnishPRIDE ● 1hr  
1 year later…how are you coping?

u/Zeldas_Girl ● 4hr  
Met the new director of the Burnish Rehab Foundation, she says they’ll be expanding to other city-states in North America within the year.

* * *

Lio Fotia @liofotia ☑  
Join us as we mourn the lives we lost one year ago and all the Burnish who came before them at the city park this coming Monday, April 18th at 6pm. We will be hosting a candlelight vigil at 8.  
112 comments · 4,256 retweets · 26.8k likes

* * *

Galo de Lion @liofotia ☑  
Two days ago my best friend asked me to marry him and I had the privilege of saying yes. Though we met just over one year ago, there is no one who knows my soul quite like you do @galothymos and no one I’d rather pilot a giant mech with. Thank you for always fighting in my corner.  
[Image description: Two young men are taking a selfie together with their faces squished close for the camera. The one in front has a blue mohawk and is giving the camera an open-mouthed grin as he gives a peace sign. The other young man is tucked against the first man’s chest with a shoulder-length bob in light-green. He is looking at the first man with a small smile.]  
265 comments · 12,238 retweets · 38.9k likes

LIO DE GALON @galothymos ☑  
It's been a long time coming but today I get to tell the world…I’m going to marry my best friend @liofotia!!! YOU MAKE MY SOUL BURN LIKE NO ONE ELSE  
168 comments · 3,257 retweets · 27.7k likes

Miss Amia @missamia_  
I KNEW IT!!!!!!! AHHHHH  
1 comment · 1 retweet · 8 likes

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


End file.
